Just One Kiss
by RogueRed
Summary: Aeryn won't even look at him if she can help it. It's killing him. But things always seem to get worse, yet it might be John's lucky day...who knew Aeryn would get amnesia?
1. A Frelled Up Life

Crichton walked through the small stands, looking for something that might help with his module. For some odd reason, it wouldn't start, and he had gone through it probably a thousand times, and he still had no idea what could be wrong with it. It was driving him nuts not knowing, but Crichton had a suspicion that one of his crew members had done something to it so he couldn't stop Moya to fly for a bit and collect data. Chiana? No, she was too busy dealing with Jool, so that cut her out, too. Dargo? They may have been fighting an awful lot, but due to recent circumstances, Dargo had been there for John so he could talk to someone who understood. Crais was on Talyn, so that cut him from the list, and Aeryn…  
  
Aeryn wouldn't even look at him if she could help it. It was destroying John, little by little, and he moved a lot slower nowadays. It was killing him. "Just don't think about it" Dargo would say.  
  
"Man, I've tried that for quite a long time now, ever since she left on Talyn" Crichton would say aghast in a reply. "But I see her, and then everything just floods back. My imagination just gets the better of me, D."  
  
Crichton tried desperately to forget this, and tried to concentrate instead on an interesting piece of equipment that he had never seen before. The clerk, a delvian male who seemed quite young (then again he could be 800 years old and you wouldn't know the difference), looked at Crichton and tilted his head to the side briefly, then asked, "Are you interested in this piece?"  
  
"What is it?" John asked in curiosity.  
  
"It's called a TB6 Track" he said matter-of-factly. "It can detect problems with any mechanical thing, and will tell you what it is. It also blinks red if someone untrustworthy is nearby, so you can watch yourself easier."  
  
Weird he thought. That's exactly the sort of thing I'd need. I wonder if this guy is trying to rip me off.  
  
The delvian seemed to sense what was going on in Crichton's head, so he said, "You don't trust me on this. Tell you what? It's free of charge for you. I think you need this quite badly."  
  
Out of the corner of Crichton's eye, he could see a woman in black leather probing around, wearing a tight braid. Aeryn Sun. The woman of his dreams, but yet also the thing that was killing him inside.  
  
He sighed heavily, and yet again the delvian seemed to know what was the matter.  
  
"Women are difficult. Time and patience are virtues. They will work with you."  
  
Crichton shook his head. "Not now. They are working against me." He picked up TB6 Track, muttered a thank you, and left.  
  
In all actuality, John and Aeryn were the only two people from Moya's crew on the planet. Neither one of them wanted this to happen, but everyone else was busy doing something. John and Aeryn just-didn't have anything or much to do anymore. Aeryn had silently pleaded with Chiana to come with her, which threw Chiana to be quite surprised, but she told her no.  
  
"I'm helping Pilot. I promised him since yesterday."  
  
"Chiana, I beg of you, if you care for me at all-"  
  
"No, Aeryn. You need to do this. You can't just avoid Crichton forever. It's killing him. Look at how grateful you are being to Zhann! She saved both of you! She fixed everything for you guys a cycle ago. If I had been able to fix things with me and Dargo, I would have done it in an instant. I acted without thinking, I realize that now, but you still have a chance, and you are acting like a peacekeeper bitch" she said icily.  
  
That was a blow Aeryn didn't want to take. It really hurt her. Aeryn couldn't totally mask it, and Chiana saw that she had hurt her.  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry, Aeryn" she said sympathetically. "I really am. But you can't avoid him forever. He's no different from the Crichton on Talyn you had and loved. He's the same man you loved a cycle ago. The same man who held you when you cried about your peacekeeper past. The same guy who once said that you could be more. The same man who has loved you since day one."  
  
Aeryn looked a bit thunderstruck. "But-how do you know-?"  
  
"Aeryn, I get around this place. I hear things no one else would like me to hear. But I hear them, nonetheless."  
  
Chiana, for the first time, gave Aeryn a hug. And for the first time in quite a while, Aeryn smiled, but weakly.  
  
"If you need to talk to someone, I'm right here. I know you may think I'm acting really weird right now, but I know what it's like when there's no one to talk to. It-"  
  
Chiana stopped herself. She tilted her head a little bit, then shook off whatever it was that was bothering her.  
  
"Just don't be where you don't want to be" Chiana said finally.  
  
***************  
  
Dargo had been pacing around for a bit. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't figure out what it was. It kept panging his conscience wherever he went, and he had kept going back and forth so many times that he, a luxan, got tiered and sat down. He sighed heavily. So many things seemed to have taken a bad turn for everyone, and Crichton's decision to stop Scorpius didn't comfort him in the least. It would be very difficult. How the hezmana did he think this was going to work?  
  
"Talyn? Talyn, wait, no!" Pilot shouted, which for some reason came over the comms.  
  
Now what could be wrong? Dargo thought.  
  
"Pilot, what's wrong?" Dargo said in his usual forceful voice.  
  
"Talyn is going into Starburst!" Pilot said in frustration and worry at the same time.  
  
"Is he responding?" Dargo said, heading over to Pilot's chamber.  
  
"No! He and Moya were talking, and then he just stopped and-he's gone."  
  
It was true. Dargo was passing by command, and Talyn was no more in view.  
  
"Pilot, Moya isn't-?" Dargo said, gaping slightly.  
  
"She is!"  
  
"We must warn John and Aeryn!" Dargo said, breaking into a run.  
  
"No time!"  
  
"Make Moya stall!" Dargo said angrily.  
  
"She won't listen!" said Pilot. "Moya is going into Starburst!" 


	2. We Were Better Off...

A/N: Hi! Well, it was kinda dissapointing to how much feedback I got, but thank you very much to the person who did! Maybe it just doesn't show up on the first page so people don't read it lol. Well, the more feedback I get, the more I'll write. Well, here is the next part…  
  
  
  
Aeryn was fuming. Moya had Starbursted for some unknown reason, and she was stranded on a planet with Crichton. Not my Crichton. Just another Crichton. Not the same one on Talyn. Frell the others. They didn't even warn us. They probably even did it on purpose. Well, frell them all. Now what am I going to do? I have to actually look at him and talk to him. He's not mine. He's just someone else.  
  
Aeryn heard running steps from behind, and knew immeadiately that it was Crichton. She turned around to look at him, much to her disdain.  
  
"Aeryn, I just found out-"  
  
"Moya Starbursted away" Aeryn finished, nodding. "So what are we going to do now?"  
  
"Well, it's probably going to take them a while before they get back…" John said, hopeful that Aeryn didn't hear the hope in his voice.  
  
"And it's getting dark" Aeryn said with a sigh. "We should probably find a place to stay."  
  
Crichton nodded. "I saw some taller buildings in that direction while I was looking around. Let's go."  
  
The streets were very crowded, and Crichton was reminded of New York and specifically Times Square during the holidays. It was hard to move around, and the streets kept winding and winding around. Had he forgotten where the buildings were?  
  
The answer was no as they took another turn and found several buildings on one long street. Now he was reminded of Las Vegas. Flashing logos all over the place, and the buildings all had different symbols on them. Aeryn and Crichton headed down the road to see what there was to offer.  
  
Aeryn pointed out a nicer-looking one with some exotic trees around, and the building was white and gold. He had thought she had made a good choice, and he felt it was better if they did things her way, so he nodded and they walked in.  
  
"Definitely Las Vegas" Crichton gasped, looking around once they stepped inside.  
  
There were all different kinds of alien women in very skimpy outfits, with colorful feathers that were as long as their arms. There were bars everywhere, and a luxan who looked quite tipsy muttered to himself, "Hehe, Fellip Nectar…"  
  
Aeryn groaned at the site, and they pushed on through the immense crowds to the far back where the main stand was located with a young sebacean man standing behind it, looking quite intelligent. Crichton and Aeryn were relived.  
  
"Excuse me" Crichton said, coming up to the table.  
  
"Peacekeepers" the man gasped.  
  
"No, we aren't" Aeryn said irritably. "We just like to dress in black leather and carry pulse pistols. We would also like a room."  
  
"Ah" said the man, smiling very widely which absolutely sickened Crichton. "So, are you two just married or-"  
  
Crichton cleared his throat rather loudly.  
  
"Two separate beds, please. This ain't no honeymoon. We want out of here asap."  
  
The man's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "Right. Level 22 room number 7. Here is your chip to getting in."  
  
"Thank you" Crichton said rather disdainfully taking the chip and turning around to take the elevator.  
  
***********  
  
Dargo was very angry, somewhere in luxan hyper rage.  
  
"Pilot! Contact Crais so we can know what was the meaning of this."  
  
"Of course, Dargo" Pilot said irritably. He was starting to get sick of putting up with Dargo all the time instead of Crichton. Crichton had and excuse of being deficient, but Dargo didn't.  
  
Crais's face flashed flashed onto the clamshell. It looked like his eye was twitching. He was not in a very good mood.  
  
"Crais, why in the hezmana did Talyn Starburst?" Dargo half shouted.  
  
"Talyn has been very edgy lately, Ka Dargo, and I cannot control him from doing what he wishes, or else I am placed into a great deal of pain. Even now, he will not explain to me why he went into Starburst."  
  
"The yotz to all of you!" Rygel said, flying in.  
  
"Shut-up, Rygel" Chiana said on qeue followed by Jool.  
  
"Don't you realize what we have done?" Rygel said, looking infuriated.  
  
"What?" Crais said irritably.  
  
"We have stranded the two people on Moya who most belong together but are always pulled apart. One refuses to talk to the other because she has been through a great deal of pain, and now the other is getting tortured even more by not being able to even have a conversation with her. The yotz to all of you! You have all frelled up their lives even more!  
  
"He is the same John Crichton she loved when the first met, the same man who vowed he'd love her forever. And now it's just even worse. Talyn doesn't give a yotz what Crichton thinks, so he'd just love to stay here forever and have poor Moya, being a good mother, watching over her ill-bred son!"  
  
Everyone was suddenly quiet. Rygel usually didn't do speeches, let alone stick up for anyone. But they all knew that every word he had said was true. Even Talyn didn't try to complain to Crais that a Hynerian dominar had insulted him.  
  
"You're right, Rygel" Chiana's voice croaked.  
  
Everyone silently nodded.  
  
"All we've been doing this cycle is thinking of ourselves, and not each other" Dargo said, looking a bit shameful of himself.  
  
"Maybe we can change that" Jool said hopefully. 


	3. Why Me?

A/N: Well, here is part 3. Sorry it took so long, I've got finals and I've had to study amongst other things. Anyhow, please write feedback for me so I know if I'm staying in character and such. I really want to get them all down right. Thanks to those of you who have left feedback and e-mailed me. It's the greatest compliment I ever get ( Oh, just a few quick questions:  
  
Mmtee- What does h/c mean? (Sorry, a bit new to ff.net)  
  
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this bit, and let me know what you think!  
  
  
  
John felt like dren. He had never had such a blazing row with Aeryn before in his life, and the fight had been so stupid and trivial. Obviously, she didn't care about him anymore. At least that's what he kept telling himself. But somehow, he didn't believe it. After all, he was the same man she'd known a few cycles ago. But Aeryn was having just as hard a time as he was, probably even worse, after what she had been through. Rygel had told Crichton all about it, since he knew Crais wouldn't breathe a word, and Aeryn, well…enough said.  
  
I remember how I felt when I lost my mother John thought. But I didn't have to let her drop from an over-seventy-story-building. And to learn that her own mother had killed her father…man, I wouldn't let anyone come near me for a whole year…  
  
John sighed, realizing what he had just thought.  
  
"Ah, hello, John!" Harvey said, popping from nowhere out of the shadows.  
  
"Shut-up and go away. I'm thinking" John snapped.  
  
"Touchy, touchy!" Harvey said, his smile fading a bit. "Honestly, John, I thought you'd be happy being alone with Aeryn on this planet."  
  
"If you haven't noticed," John said through gritted teeth, "I just had the fight of the century with Aeryn."  
  
"Well, I thought it was quite stupid" Harvey said, sitting down next to John on a black couch made of leather. "Honestly! You simply were cleaning her extremely large gun for her, and she suddenly just snapped. She looks so subdued nowadays, you'd never see it coming."  
  
"Because of me" John said softly to himself, lowering his head in dismay.  
  
"John, stop telling yourself that. It's not your fault! If it hadn't been him…er…the other you dying, it would've been you you."  
  
"It's just not fair" John said sadly, but starting to get angry with everything around him. "Every single time we start to get close, and everything seems like it's gonna be perfect, everything blows up in my face. I fed up with it. The only way everything would be perfect for us-"  
  
"Would be to get rid of everything strange in the universe, mainly the Uncharted Territories" Harvey finished. "Well, John, that's unfortunately impossible."  
  
"I know. That's why I am so…"  
  
John cursed under his breath, picked up an empty bottle of fellip nectar he'd been drinking, and threw it across the room, breaking and shattering with a loud crash in the corner.  
  
"Don't blame it on yourself" Harvey said, shaking his head.  
  
"Maybe I should go after her. I mean, she looks like a peacekeeper, and I heard from some people in the shops that they aren't liked much around here. Sometimes they get shot or poisoned. Actually, I'm going after her now. That's the last thing I want-Aeryn dead again."  
  
Harvey shook his head, and John walked out the room.  
  
***********  
  
Frelling human. He just doesn't get it into that tiny little brain of his.  
  
Aeryn took a swig from her glass of Raslack. She was in a particularly nice bar, although there were strippers just about at every turn. It reminded Aeryn of the Royal Planet…even those compatibility testers were there. Hopefully Crichton wouldn't get himself into trouble again. Aeryn took another angry swig from it.  
  
As a matter-of-fact, this was exactly how she felt on the Royal Planet, too. Frelling ticked off at Crichton. Why did he always have to be so…deficient? Loud, obnoxious, stupid, handsome…  
  
"Frell" Aeryn muttered to herself. How dare she let herself think that?  
  
She looked down and realized that she had finished her drink in less then 3 microts. At least the drinks were free.  
  
"Another?" a delvian behind the counter asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you" Aeryn said in an unusually kind way, taking the new glass from him. Suddenly Aeryn realized there were some young boys approaching her, somewhere in their teens. They looked like they were up to something. They all circled around her.  
  
"Hello, peacekeeper" one boy said icily.  
  
Aeryn rolled her eyes and turned towards them, leaving her drink.  
  
"Oh, a peacekeeper, am I?"  
  
"Yeah" said another casually, coming a little closer. "And you know what? We don't like peacekeepers."  
  
"We despise them."  
  
"Cause too much trouble around here."  
  
Aeryn narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone. I'm too busy to deal with the likes of you children right now."  
  
The leader (she presumed), who had spoken to her first, then said, "Alright, whatever you say" as he rolled his eyes at her.  
  
Aeryn groaned, turned back to her drink, and took a swig.  
  
Scratch that. Frell the entire universe. They are all fools. One day, they'll all be chained up somewhere on a leviathan with peacekeepers. They'll stop attacking me, alright…  
  
Aeryn was thinking quite vivid thoughts now, and then she started to feel sick.  
  
I don't feel very good. Need to find John, tell him I'm sorry for getting so mad, even if I don't want to…  
  
Aeryn was shaking and couldn't see clearly. She stood up for a moment, took a few steps, and fell to the floor with a sickening thud. She heard footsteps coming towards her, rushing.  
  
"Aeryn? Aeryn!"  
  
It was John, but his voice was very distant, fading further and further away. Soon, everything turned black, and Aeryn couldn't hear anything at all.  
  
*************  
  
John picked up Aeryn. She was ice cold, and she had just passed out.  
  
"What happened?" John asked the delvian.  
  
"Are you a peacekeeper, too?" the delvian man asked.  
  
"No, nor is she. She's an ex."  
  
John looked down at her. She looked so helpless and sad.  
  
"Some teens came up here and tried to scare her, but she just put them down. I had my back turned, but I could've sworn from the corner of my eye I saw one drop something into her drink."  
  
John looked up, outraged.  
  
"You didn't tell her?"  
  
"Thought she was a peacekeeper" he muttered, shaking his head sadly.  
  
"Do you think it might be poison?"  
  
"Don't know. Let me have a look at that glass of hers."  
  
John picked up the glass and handed it to him. He inspected it carefully.  
  
"Fertoise" he said, putting the glass down. "Quite dangerous, if not taken care of properly. Take this liquid and make her drink it when she wakes up. Come back to me tommorow and let me know how she is progressing, but come to the apothecary in the back."  
  
John nodded and picked her up.  
  
Aeryn, please be okay…and not too ticked either when you wake up. Last thing we need right now… 


	4. Memories For A Loss

A/N: Well I guess I need to write this up since the author of a story I'm reading won't put up the next part until I write this :) Thank you for your encouragement, my readers. I truly appreciate it. I guess I need to write disclaimers from now on, even though I hate them lol I don't like to admit I don't own Farscape :)  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own Farscape, the Henson Company and many other skilled people do. I'm borrowing the characters for a bit of entertainment hehe.  
  
  
  
1 Just One Kiss part 4  
  
  
  
John had just carried Aeryn in. She looked so pale and tiered. It reminded him of the day she died. But then, however, she looked much more peaceful then this. She was suffering in some way, but how exactly, he didn't know. The worst part was that he felt it was all his fault. Harvey was in the room, shaking his head at John.  
  
"You know very well it isn't your fault, John" Harvey said matter-of- factly. "It was those ruthless boys that did this to her, not you."  
  
"But she walked out because of me" John said, a sad expression on his face. "Therefore, I started this mess."  
  
"Self-pity will get you no where, John" Harvey had said for what had seemed the one-thousandth time. "Now you need to focus. You are in quite the sticky situation. Aeryn is out cold, Moya has Starbursted away, and this planet is full of people who absolutely hate peacekeepers. For starters, I suggest you stop looking like one."  
  
John groaned.  
  
"That means I have to go shopping. One, I'm not just going to leave her here alone, it's too dangerous, plus, well, didn't you see what those people were wearing? I might as well join the taliban! Only, it's crossed- over with clothes from Tahiti!"  
  
"It's not that bad, John. See? Look at me!"  
  
John, who had been staring at Aeryn and the ground at different times, now looked up at Harvey, who sported the clothes the locals wore. He was wearing several layers of orange and emerald clothes with a funny hat that seemed to be popular, which seemed to be a triangle-box with beads hanging from the sides. The site looked, needless to say, quite funny. John, in turn, burst out laughing.  
  
"I happen to like it!" Harvey said with a disgruntled look on his face.  
  
John chuckled, but then put on a serious tone.  
  
"I'm not wearing that."  
  
"This isn't the only kind of clothes there are. I do recall seeing some other styles that you might like…of course, you could always dress as a woman."  
  
"Alright, alright! Well, maybe that delvian can help me in the fashion department. I'll definitely need to get different clothes for Aeryn, anyways. She'll be extremely hot in leather."  
  
John chuckled at what he said.  
  
Aeryn stirred. Her brow was furrowed, as though she were thinking about something.  
  
"Aeryn?"  
  
Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. They were glossy, as though she couldn't see quite properly. She blinked, and then she seemed a bit more normal. She looked up at John.  
  
"Wha-what's going on?" her voice said, shaky.  
  
"Aeryn," John said, slowly, "Do you remember what happened in the bar?"  
  
"The bar…" she repeated, thinking hard. "Yes, I do. You were kissing all those women just to make me jealous. Well I'll tell you one thing, John Crichton, it didn't work. I-"  
  
Aeryn stopped and then looked around.  
  
"You-we escaped Scorpius and the empress? John, we are free! But how? How did you-"  
  
She stopped again and looked at him. John had a bewildered look on his face, but Aeryn seemed to miss it. Her train of thought was rapid.  
  
"Zhann and the others have no idea where we are, do they?"  
  
John didn't know what to say. Obviously the poison brought on heat delirium, but how could he keep her mind on track?  
  
"Aeryn, you were poisoned, and we've gone way past the Royal Planet. We invaded a shadow depositry, we found out that Scorpius put a neural chip in my brain, causing you to…um, well, Aeryn, everything that you were just talking about was over a cycle ago. A lot has happened since then…"  
  
Aeryn gave him a quizzical look.  
  
"What the frell are you talking about, John?" she asked.  
  
"You were just poisoned in a bar, and I guess you have some sort of heat delirium thing going on…but you aren't sweaty or anything, this just doesn't make any sense…"  
  
Aeryn looked just as bewildered as John did.  
  
"Well, I do feel a bit shaky and hot, but…I don't understand. What happened? Heat delirium isn't like this…and…how…? No. You're just…joking with me, right?"  
  
John sighed and shrugged. What could he tell her?  
  
Harvey, who was still watching, came up next to John.  
  
"You know, you can use this time difference to your advantage" he said, a smile playing at his lips.  
  
"What do you mean?" John whispered back. He didn't want Aeryn to hear, as this might freak her out even more. She was staring out the window, looking puzzled.  
  
"I mean," Harvey said slowly, "Aeryn doesn't know she died, or Zhann, or that Chiana cheated on Dargo, but, specifically, she doesn't know you've been doubled, that she stayed on Talyn with the other you, who eventually died and left her heart-broken. You now know she loves you. And, considering the fact that she still has a sort of wild feeling that the time frame is still over a cycle ago…"  
  
John's eyes slightly widened. It was true, after all. She didn't know. Perhaps those long months without her could be made up…  
  
No, John thought, shaking his head. That would be terrible of me. But…oh, God, she's so beautiful…maybe I could tell her that I love her. Besides, I don't want her getting confused…  
  
"Um, here, Aeryn, take this. I need to go shopping for a bit. The locals around here hate people in leather, and this delvian is going to help me get you feeling better. Just wait here. And, uh, forget what I said a few minutes ago. Just babbling, I guess..."  
  
Aeryn smiled at him.  
  
"I only wear leather, though, it's my trademark" she said, a smile playing at her lips.  
  
"You got poisoned because of looking like a peacekeeper," John said with a chuckle. They were talking the way they used to. It felt good to talk to her conversation-like again.  
  
"I'll be right back. You might have to wear something you don't like much necessarily, but you'll look good in it, and it's comfortable, nonetheless."  
  
"Alright. Don't be gone long, though, I want to hear about how you managed to escape the empress and bring me without me even knowing. It should be pretty interesting."  
  
John stopped as he got to the door.  
  
1.1 I'd better start thinking of ideas, or else I'm done for…  
  
************  
  
"Crais, I must speak to you."  
  
Captain Bialar Crais turned to look at the dominar. Rygel looked extremely serious.  
  
"Obviously this must be very important to you if you wish to speak to me alone on Talyn."  
  
"It is. Moya refuses to Starburst away from Talyn to retrieve Aeryn and Crichton. Pilot has tried everything to persuade her, but she won't listen. She is worried about Talyn, and whenever she tries to talk to him, he won't tell her anything. Has he told you of anything?"  
  
Crais sighed.  
  
"I've tried very hard, but he won't respond to me. He seems to be off in another universe. I'm not sure, but it might be because either Talyn feels guilty about the other Crichton dying and believes that this will bring them back together, or possibly because he still doesn't like Crichton at all, or perhaps, it's teenage emotions that is driving him somewhere else, but he won't tell me. It's-very stressful for me."  
  
Rygel sighed.  
  
"Talyn, I know you are listening to us. Know this. Whatever the cause may be, both Crichton and Aeryn are in grave danger. The sebaceans on that planet happen to hate peacekeepers and they usually try to kill them the first chance they get. Crichton and Aeryn might not be peacekeepers, but by the way they dress, it certainly appears like it to people who don't know them. What would you do if someone tried to kill Aeryn? She could even be dead now. You must tell us why you are doing this, Talyn. We need to go back and save them. Moya won't leave without you."  
  
Talyn flickered a bit, then stopped.  
  
"Did he say something?"  
  
"No" Crais sighed.  
  
  
  
Have I stayed in character still? Is this still any good? Let me know in your feedback. The more feedback I get, the faster I'll write the next part and put it up. 


	5. Lucky Dog

Disclaimers: Don't own this show or the characters. Henson and Kemper and other people do.  
  
  
  
Just One Kiss Part 5  
  
  
  
"Well, anyhow, that's the situation I'm stuck in, Mr. Blue. Ya got any advice?" John said to the delvian male after explaining the extremely long and factual story about John and Aeryn's relationship.  
  
"Well, firstly, I feel I should tell you how Aeryn's illness will affect her" the Delvian male, Alavian, said thoughtfully. "The sebacean loses their memory to a specific period in time, to when they were under a lot of stress and something of great importance was going on in their lives. The memories aren't actually gone-the brain just can't process it for the moment. Soon they just become more deluded then ever, and they go to insanity if they aren't treated within a weeken, and if it is still not detected, they go into heat delirium-the stages that haven't already taken place-and then into the living death. The sooner they are treated, the better.  
  
"Now, since it's this early we have noted the signs, giving her this potion will stop the process. However, it will take at least a weeken before all the memories come back. It changes every few solar days as to what they remember, and the day beforehand, they won't remember at all. It's a very new a confusing illness, and scientists are learning more and more about it every solar day.  
  
"As for how you should act around Aeryn, I suggest you use your time wisely, to make up for lost time if you know what I mean" Alavain said, winking.  
  
John grinned inspite of himself. "I feel somewhat guilty, but when you put it that way, there's really no harm, is it?" Alavain shook his head and smiled. "So, do you have some clothes that Aeryn and I could use since we need to shop some more? I don't want a repeat of yesterday's 'Days of Our Lives.' Oh, and I don't wanna look like I'm part of the Taliban."  
  
The delvian frowned at John. "I don't fully understand what you just said, but I believe I know the main thought behind it. I'll go get some clothing from the back."  
  
The sound of Alavain's footsteps quickly disappeared, since it was so noisy in the apothecary. The scents of so many different herbs and spices wafted through the shop, and the smell made Crichton slightly dizzy. There were also slaughtered animals hanging on the ceiling, but John should have realized he'd see things like that when he read the sign from the outside that read: Alavain's Apothecary and Spiced Meats-spiced to perfection! Nevertheless, the sight creeped him out somewhat. He wanted out ASAP. Besides, he had a great opportunity waiting for him back at the hotel. After a few minutes the delvian came back with some clothes.  
  
"I think this might suit you," he said, holding up a pair of black pants in a cotton-like material and a dark-blue cotton-like shirt with a strange symbol on the front.  
  
"I didn't see one person out there wear anything like that, though" John said, frowning slightly.  
  
"That's because you only saw the servants by the shops" he said, slightly amused. "This is quite popular and very comfortable. And Aeryn can wear this."  
  
He held up a scarlet-iridescent dress with ruffles at the shoulders going across but not over, and had no sleeves.  
  
"Well, something tells me she will have a bit of a quarrel with me about that, but she'll wear it."  
  
The delvian looked pleased.  
  
"Now, give her this potion, and if something goes wrong, let me know."  
  
************  
  
Aeryn was sitting on the bed, watching John with an amused expression on his face.  
  
"I'm not wearing that, John," she said with a smile.  
  
God she's so beautiful when she smiles. Then again, she's always beautiful. If I ever wrote a dictionary, beautiful would be defined as Aeryn. I just hope it will last for at least a week.  
  
"Well, Miss Sun, I hate to break it to you, but we need to go shopping. The locals hate peacekeeper guts, and even if we aren't peacekeepers, they'll assume we are, and we won't last an arn on this place. Trust me about this one. If I have to look different, so do you."  
  
"I hate dresses."  
  
A smile crept onto John's face. Aeryn cocked an eyebrow playfully and grinned at him. I can just see what's coming next…John thought to himself.  
  
"Hey, it might not look good to you on a hanger, but trust me, it'll look good on you."  
  
Aeryn looked up and smiled. "Is that in invitation?" she purred.  
  
"May-be" he said coyly back. He came and sat on the bed next to her.  
  
"So, how did we escape the empress and Scorpius?" Aeryn asked.  
  
Make it simple. You don't want to make this a big deal, or you'll find yourself in a lot of trouble.  
  
"Well, since they took samples of my DNA, they made princess Katralla pregnant without me-er, well you know."  
  
Aeryn nodded.  
  
"So…you have a child you'll never see?" Aeryn said a little sadly.  
  
"Yeah" John said with a sigh. "At least I know she'll be taken care of."  
  
"Hmm" Aeryn said softly, staring out into space. "So, where is everyone else?"  
  
John frowned and felt himself go red. He hadn't thought of that. Well, I'll just tell the truth again, then.  
  
"Moya Starbursted away for reasons unknown. We're kinda stranded here, I guess."  
  
A smile played at Aeryn's lips. This is the perfect setup. I can finally let go. How did such a helpless being work his way into my heart?  
  
"John, I'm sorry I've been pushing you away. I was…well…scared that I'd lose you. But sometimes, well, you have to take risks. What I'm trying to say is-"  
  
"I love you" John whispered in Aeryn's ear.  
  
A huge smile crossed Aeryn's face, and she blushed a little. "I love you too" she whispered back, their noses touching.  
  
They nuzzled each other, closed their eyes, and slowly came into a deep, passionate kiss. John's hands moved up her back softly. He was so happy. He hadn't kissed Aeryn in nearly an entire cycle, and the feeling was so wonderful. They fell back onto the bed, kissing for what seemed like all eternity…  
  
  
  
  
  
Ah, I love shippyness :) Let me know how you like it! Am I staying in character? Does this seem realistic at all to you? I love feedback!  
  
  
  
Fire Star/The Radiant Aeryn Sun 


	6. All in a Dream

Disclaimers: Don't own this show or the characters. Henson and Kemper and other people do. And boy, are they lucky! :o)  
  
Just One Kiss Part 6  
  
John woke up. He was lying on the floor, and Aeryn was sleeping on the bed. Everything he thought that had happened...at least them kissing, anyway...had been all a dream.  
  
God damnit.  
  
He looked up at Aeryn. She looked so peaceful and calm, yet aged at the same time, after all she'd been through. Memories-terrible, awful memories-haunted her now, even in her sleep. John wanted to help her so badly, but if he tried, the gap between them would end up growing even more...  
  
But could she remember it now? How long had it been? Only two days, really...probably five more to go...  
  
John sighed to himself and let his head fall back against a wooden cabinet, and the smell reminded him of home, the forest that he and his family went through on camping trips. Those were simple, pleasurable days...and they might be gone forever...  
  
"Don't start getting depressed, John" Harvey said, coming out in a red flannel shirt that reminded John of the TV show Home Improvement. "You need to focus."  
  
"Give it up, Harv" John said, sighing heavily. "I'm so desperate that I dreamed up having a conversation with Aeryn who was getting all giggly and we started making out. I'm a sad human being, Harvey, a sad human being."  
  
"Do you actually remember what was real?" Harvey said, pulling up a chair next to John. They were now sitting in the forest, looking out at a lake with a beautiful waterfall. Birds chirped in the distance, and the feeling was very peaceful.  
  
"I-think so..." John said, furrowing his brow. "Oh, yeah. I got the stuff from Blue, gave it to Aeryn, she fell asleep and I decided to sleep on the floor..."  
  
Harvey nodded, confirming John's assumptions. "Where are we now, John?"  
  
"This was the spot me, my mom, my dad, and my sisters went to go camping. I always had a lot of fun going here."  
  
"You really need to stick with reality more. You're drifting from it, and you could become completely insane."  
  
"My happy memories keep me sane" John said, shaking his head dismissively, and was now holding a can of beer and took a drink from it. "If I let go, I'll die of mere aggravation and suffering. I have to keep going."  
  
"Just trying to help you, John" said Harvey, lying back. "Because if you die, I die."  
  
"Too true. That would certainly be a sad day."  
  
********  
  
Aeryn was chasing after John in her prowler over an ice planet. Although, it wasn't really John. It was the Scorpius clone in his brain. It had taken over him, and if Aeryn didn't think fast enough, Scorpius would find him and take him away. She bluntly refused to let that happen. But he had now disappeared, and she was completely baffled as to where he was. Oh, there, hovering over her prowler. She ordered him to land and cut the charade out. He agreed, but then did something Aeryn wouldn't expect in a million cycles.  
  
Crash.  
  
The cold air filled her prowler now, and she shivered and tried to figure out what to do. Over her comm, everyone was yelling at her to eject. She was fidgeting with the controls like a madman. Her heart was racing.  
  
"Ejecting-now!"  
  
She was launched into the air. Things seemed fine, until the clone pointed out something...she was falling towards a frozen lake. And what was worse...the mechanism was stuck. She couldn't get out of the chair. John finally came back.  
  
"Aeryn, you have to get out of the damn chair!" he said decisively but with a lot of fear in his voice.  
  
"I don't have any choice!" Aeryn yelled, pulling at the belt helplessly.  
  
"Oh, please, do something, do something..." John's voice came over desperately.  
  
Aeryn stopped, and it struck her...she was going to die. Tears formed in her eyes.  
  
"I don't have any options."  
  
"Oh, baby, no, please, you're not gonna die like this, you are not gonna die like this..."  
  
"I hope you meant what you said in the neural cluster...I did!"  
  
She felt his head turn to look at her desperately, and within moments, she crashed into the lake.  
  
"Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Aeryn came back up for a moment and called out his name, but it was useless...she went back down...until...blackness.  
  
Aeryn woke up from the dream, her heart pounding so fast she felt that she would pass out.  
  
*********  
  
Dargo was pacing around in Pilot's den. He'd been badgering him for about half an arn, and Pilot was ready to scream. But did anyone ever seem to care about it? That Pilot, the one being on the ship who talked directly to Moya and made sure all their sorry lives went on?  
  
Never. Not in a million cycles. Did anyone appreciate him?  
  
"I told you already!" Pilot said, sounding like an irritated clerk. "Moya and I have no idea why Talyn went into Starburst! Would you just leave me alone?!"  
  
Dargo growled under his breath, and turned to face Pilot. "John and Aeryn are wide open to everyone that we've angered in the Uncharted Territories. Scorpius probably expects to see John again very soon. What if he's sent out a search party to find him? What if-"  
  
"Dargo, please!" Pilot said, screaming in aggravation. "There is nothing more that I can do! If Talyn gives into talking to Moya, you shall be informed! Until then, you'll just have to be patient!"  
  
Dargo growled, bared his teeth and shook his head in one rapid jolt. Jool walked in, a worried expression on her face.  
  
"Dargo?" she said tentatively.  
  
Dargo spun around, and when he saw her his expression softened a bit.  
  
"We need to be patient" she said encouragingly. "Give Pilot a break. You haven't slept for two solar days. I've seen you prowl around during the sleep cycle."  
  
Dargo sighed heavily.  
  
"I just don't want them to get hurt. I've known them so long. They have been good friends to me. I do not want to lose them."  
  
"Don't tell me he's gone into luxan hyper rage again," Chiana said, coming from behind with an irritated expression.  
  
Dargo growled again.  
  
"You need to cool it too, Chiana" Jool said, turning to look at her. "Pilot is dealing with enough problems as it is. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be alive right now."  
  
That little tralk is trying to take Dargo again Chiana thought bitterly. She ought to bite into her own words. But why the frell am I still lingering on this? I'm actually jealous? Frell emotions...  
  
"I never badgered Pilot!" Chiana said defensively. "You all need to learn when to back off!"  
  
Jool gritted her teeth. Ah. Here we go again...another day on Moya with a blazing row from Miss Chiana. Well, considering what the little slut she is, it's obviously going to stay that way...  
  
"And besides" Chiana said, starting to roll her eyes at them all. "Talyn said he'd went into Starburst because he sensed a peacekeeper retrieval squad coming, or at least he thinks so. All we need to do is convince him that he has nothing to worry about..."  
  
Everyone stared and gaped at Chiana.  
  
"What the frell is everyone looking at?!" Chiana said in protest. "It's not like I said anything weird...oh..."  
  
************  
  
A/N: Aha! Just when you think the author has let you get what you want...dum-dum-dum! Hehe ;) So...have I stayed in character still? Is this any good? Let me know in your feedback...oh, and I'd like to thank those of you who left me feedback! I asked for at least five, and I got even more then that... :o) Oh, and how did you like my reason for Talyn going into Starburst? Was that a reasonable explanation? Let me know...oh, and if you are interested in other things that I'm working on, I suggest you look at A Rose That Won't Open... :o) Oh, and don't worry, guys. I work on these at the same time. I'm not going to stop writing on either one of them.  
  
The Radiant Aeryn Sun/ Fire Star 


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